On a tour of state media organizations early this year, Xi Jinping stressed their role as the Party’s mouthpiece, saying that they should “take ‘Party’ as their surname.” His call sparked some resistance, from outspoken tycoon Ren Zhiqiang’s objection that the media should serve the people before the Party, for which he was soon expelled from social media, to a prominent editor’s resignation and some defiant reporting from business magazine Caixin. Now,